Foldable shoe rack



NOV. 23, 1954 w COHEN 2,695,106

- FOLDABLE SHOE RACK Filed April 21, 1952 IN V EN TOR. WILL/AM COHEN ATTDW/VEY.

United States Patent FOLDABLE SHOE RACK William Cohen, New York, N. Y.

Application April 21, 1952, Serial No. 283,373

2 Claims. (Cl. 211-38) This invention relates to a foldable shoe rack.

The principal object of this invention is the provision of a rack for shoes and the like which may be folded to compact proportions or unfolded to its fully extended position. The rack constituting this invention is provided with two end frame members and a plurality of longitudinally extending rods which are pivotally connected at their respective end portions to the end frame members. Mounted on said rods is a plurality of shoe forms or the like which are adapted to receive and hold shoes or other articles of footwear or the like. The longitudinally extending rods and the end frame members may be pivoted relative to each other so as to bring them into substantially parallel relationship. This would be the folded condition of the rack and it would occupy a relatively small space. The longitudinally extending rods and the end frame members may also be pivoted into right angular relationship and this would constitute the unfolded or operative condition of the rack. The in dividual shoe forms would now be spaced from each other not only on each longitudinally extending rod but also in rows or tiers spaced in depth from each other, wherein each rod with its complement of spaced shoe forms constitutes a single row or tier.

One important feature of this invention is the shape of the end frame members and more specifically the angle of inclination which their top portions bear to the horizontal. Each end frame member comprises a rod or tube which is bent into the form of a very wide, inverted U. The yoke of the inverted U is the upper portion of the end frame member which carries the ends of the longitudinally extending rods. This yoke portion is inclined at an angle of approximately ten degrees relative to the horizontal but this angle may be varied in accordance with individual preferences and requirements. Since the longitudinally extending rods are supported on said inclined yoke, it will be understood that they occupy different height levels. The front rod is the lowest of the group and the back rod is the highest. The intermediate rod or rods occupy intermediate stepped levels between the low and high levels of the front and back rods.

Another important object of this invention is the provision of clamping means at the ends of the longitudinally extending rods, whereby they may be locked at right angles to the end frame members. The clamping means also serves as the pivotal means whereby the rods may be pivoted relative to the frame members. When the clamping means is clamped tight, the rods and the frame members are locked into rigid relationship, especially when they are positioned at right angles relative to each other. When the clamping means is released, it serves solely as a pivot or pintle for the pivotal movement between the rods and the frame members. This unique clamping means consists only of the ends of the rods themselves, bent and threaded, and a nut for each bent and threaded end, said nut being preferably of the wing or butterfly variety. Each rod end is curved upwardly and then bent downwardly into right angle relationship to the main body of the rod. The curved portion rests snugly against the yoke of the frame member and the downwardly extending portion projects through a hole in said yoke. It is this downwardly extending portion which is threaded and to which the nut is applied. When the nut is tight on the downwardly extending portion of the rod, the curved portion of the rod is pulled into rigid engagement with the yoke of the frame ice member and pivotal movement between the rod and the frame member is thereby prevented. When the nut is loose on the downwardly extending portion of the rod, said downwardly extending portion serves only as a pivot on which the frame member may swivel relative to the rod. The curved portion of the rod is no longer in rigid engagement with the yoke of the frame member and the latter is thereby free to engage in swiveling movement relative to the rod.

Stated differently, the combined clamping and pivoting means comprises a hook-shaped portion at each end of each longitudinally extending rod. The stem of the hook is perpendicular to the rod and extends through a hole in the end frame member and serves as the pivot on which said end frame member is adapted to swivel relative to the longitudinally extending rod. The loop or bight of the hook is formed as a hump extending upwardly from the rod and is adapted to fit snugly against the outer circumference of the end frame member. When the nut on the stem of the hook is turned tight against the end frame member, the loop or bight of said hook is in tight engagement with the outer circumference of said end frame member and relative pivotal movement between said end frame member and the rod is thereby prevented. When, however, the nut is loose on the stem of the hook, the hook may be pulled or pushed upwardly so as to enable its loop or bight to clear the end frame member, thereby freeing the end frame member to pivot or swivel relative to the rod.

A preferred form of this invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a view of the shoe rack herein claimed, showing it in folded condition, the end frame members and the longitudinally extending rods being disposed in substantially parallel relationship, flat against each other.

Fig. 2 is a front view of the same rack, showing it set up and ready for use.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the same rack, also showing it set up and ready for use.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary section on line 44 of Fig. 3 through the yoke of one of the end frame members, showing how it is engaged by the bent end of one of the rods.

Fig. 5 is a similar section, on the line 55 of Fig. 1,

showing the bent portion of the rod in loose engagement with the yoke of the frame member so as to permit of pivotal movement between them.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary plan view partly in section of Fig. 5, showing in broken lines the position of the rod elative to the end frame members when in folded conition.

It will be seen in the drawing that the shoe rack 10 which is made in accordance with this invention comprises the following component parts: A pair of end frame members 12 and 14, respectively, three longitudinally extending rods 16, 18 and 20, respectively, a plurality of shoe forms 22 secured to said rods, and wing nuts 24 which are used to clamp the ends of said rods to the frame members. Taking rod 16 as typical or representative of the three rods, it will be noted that its end portions are bent over to engage the frame members so as to provide a pivotal connection between them. The wing nuts engage the bent end portions of the rods to secure them in rigid relationship to the frame members.

More specifically, each end frame member is made of rod stock or tubing and it is bent into the shape of a wide, inverted U. In the illustrated form of the invention, the end frame members are made of tubing as Figs. 4 and 5 clearly show. The two end frame members are identical in construction and each possesses a relatively short front leg 26 and a relatively tall back leg 28 and an inclined yoke 30 which joins said legs. The yoke is inclined at an angle of approximately ten degrees to the horizontal. Vertical holes 32 are formed in the yoke of each end frame member.

It will be noted that each end of each longitudinally extending rod is curved upwardly to form an arcuate portion 34 and then bent downwardly to form a vertical portion 36 to which the main body of the rod is perpendicular. The lower end of downwardly extending portion 36 is provided with screw threads 38 to accommodate wing nut 24. The end portion 40 of each downwardly extending portion 36' is peened overto prevent the wing nut from slipping off its screw threads. Stated differently, each end of each rod is bent to form a hook wherein the loop or bight is the arcuate portion 34 above mentioned, and the stem isthe vertical portion 36* above mentioned;

Holes 32 inthe yokes of the two end-frame'members accommodate the screw-threaded stems 36 of the rod hooks. When the wing nuts are looseon said downwardly extending stems, said stems serve as pivots on which the endframe members are enabled to swivel relative'to the rods. screw-threaded stems, loops or bights 34 are brought into tight engagement with the outer circumference of the yokes of the end frame members toprovide arigid connection between said end frame members and said rods. Relative movement'between the rodsand'the framemenv. hers is thereby prevented. See Figs. 4 and 5.

Fig; 2 shows the reason for the inclined position of.

the yokes of the two end frame members. It will be apparent that'when the shoe rack is set up for use, its shoe forms 22 are arranged in tiers which occupy different levels; The shoe forms which are securedto the front rod 20 occupy a relatively low level whereas the shoe forms which occupy a relatively high level are fixed to the back rod 16. The shoe forms which are on the intermediate rod 18 are disposed at an intermediate level;

The specific shape which the shoe forms 22 assume is not critical and what is shown in the drawing is purely illustrative. These shoe forms may be made of wire and welded or otherwise secured to the longitudinally extending rods which themselves may be made of wire or rod material. The number of rods which the shoe rack may have and-the number of shoe forms which may be fastened to each rod are matters of preference and not of invention. The spacing of the rods and the forms on said rods is also a matter of preference.

Rubber pads or caps 42 may be applied to the bottom ends:of the legsof the end frame'members to prevent them from marring the floor.

The foregoing is illustrative of a preferred form of this invention and it will be understood that other formsand modifications of the preferred form may be had within the broad spirit of the invention and the broad scope of the claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a rack for shoes and the like, a pair of end frame members of cylindrical material and a plurality of longitudinally extending rods, ends of said rods being bent to form hook-shaped portions each of which comprises a bight formed as a hump extending upwardly from the rod and a stem extending perpendicularly downward, the end frame members having holes formed therein which accommodate the stems of said hook-shaped portions to enable the end frame members to pivot. relative to said rods, the'stems of said hook-shaped portions being threaded and nutsbeing threadedthereto for engagement with When the'wing nuts are right on said 4 the end frame members to prevent dislodgment of said stems from the holes in said end frame members, the bights of said hook-shaped portions being substantially complementary to and snugly engaging a substantial arc of the outer circumference of the end frame members when the nuts are tightened upon the stems to lockingly secure the rods against pivotal movement relative to the end frame members.

2. A foldable rack. for shoes and the like comprising a pair of end frame members interconnected by a plurality of longitudinally extending rods, said rods being connected at their respective end portions to said end frame members to be selectively pivotally and fixedly related thereto; a plurality of forms for shoes and the like secured to said-rods, means for rigidly securing said end portions of the rods to said end frame members in immovable relation normal to said end frame members, the end portions of each of said rods being hook-shaped with thehump of the hook extending upwardly above the top surface of said rod when it is positioned horizontally, toform portions complementary to the transverse surface contour of said end frame member, the tail of the hook extendingdownwardly to a point considerably below thelowermost surface of said rod, saidend: frame members having holes therethrough to accommodate the downwardlyextending tails of said hooks, the downwardly extending ends of said hook tailsbeing screw-threaded and provided with nuts which are threaded to them, said downwardly extending ends being constructed and arranged to function as pivots for relative pivotal movement between: said rods and. said end frame members when the nuts are loose on said downwardlyv extending ends and said latter ends are received in said holes, said nutsbeing adapted to serveas the clamping means for rigidly. securing the rods to the end frame members when said nuts are tightened on said downwardly extending tailends, the. hump of each said hook being thereby brought into tight lateral engagement with the outer peripheral surface of the end frame members to lockingly prevent relative pivotal movement between said. and frame members and the rods.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date D; 85,502 Wilhelm Nov. 3, 1931 D; 122,929 Seltzer Oct. 8, 1940' D. 165,942 Stein Feb. 12', 1952 762,978 Baessler June 21, 1904 869,673 Wilson Oct. 29, 1907 1,304,847 Blais etaI. May 27; 1919 1,612,903 Bitney Jan. 4, 1927 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 628,690 Great Britain Sept. 2, 1949 

